Laurie
As the bus got closer to Northbridge's small station, the brakes hissed. There are two streetlamps that flicker. A roof on a shelter that is cracked. A metal bench with rusty corners.
It didn't look anything like the big city I had just left.
Maybe that was a good thing.
Maybe it meant that no one would be able to find me here.
As I got off the bus, a cool morning breeze blew across my face, and I held on to the straps of my duffel bag. The air smelled fresher and more like the earth, which made me think of slower storms and a slower pace.
The puddles on the concrete made my shoes dip a little. A few early commuters walked around, barely looking at the girl who had come with cheeks that looked like they had been sleeping and eyes that were red.
I pulled my cloak tighter around me. "Okay," I said quietly to the creature I couldn't see inside me. "One step at a time."
There was a map near the only way out. It was old and peeling at the edges. I ran my finger over the street names until I found what I needed: short-term housing, cheap apartments, and month-to-month rents. Any place I could hide without leaving a mark.
I made myself walk toward town.
The streets in Northbridge were too quiet. Rows of red brick buildings looked like tired soldiers. Old coffee shops. A laundry with windows that are fogged up. The neon sign on the new store is slowly humming.
People didn't come here to reach their goals.
They went there to hide.
I could almost hear Damien's voice in my head.
"Do you think I won't follow?"
I swallowed hard and tightened my grip on the bag.
Keep going.
As I walked into a small rental office between a bakery and a hardware store, a bell rang. There was a faint smell of lemon cleaner and cinnamon rolls from next door inside.
A woman in her fifties sat behind the counter. Her eyes were warm, and her smile was kind, as if she had seen too many lost souls come through her door.
She said, "Good morning, sweetheart." "You seem to have come a long way."
I nodded. "I need a place to sleep." "Something small."
She looked at my wet clothes, tired face, and the way I grabbed my stomach without thinking.
"Short-term or long-term?"
I stopped. Long-term sounds too permanent. Too much hope. It felt too much like I was picking a very different life from the one I had left behind.
"Month to month," I said to myself.
"Of course." She got up and took out a ring of keys. "Let me show you what we have."
She led me down the street to a small brick building with small windows and a door that was fading green. 2C Apartment
When she opened the door, I could smell lavender and dust. The room was small, but it was surprisingly comfortable. It had one bedroom, a tiny kitchen, and a couch that sagged a little but looked soft enough to fall on.
Not expensive.
Simple.
Not worth remembering.
Just right.
"I'll take it," I said before she was done with her tour.
She gave me that look that only older women seem to know how to do—one full of unspoken worry.
She said, "I'll bring the papers by this afternoon." "Please try to get some sleep, dear." You look like you're carrying more than just bags."
My throat tightened. "Thanks."
When the door closed behind her, a wave of calmness washed over me.
At last.
I was by myself.
I let go of my backpack and leaned back against the door. I fell down to sit on the floor. A sob came up, and before I could stop it, tears started to flow.
Not the quiet kind.
The kind that hurt my ribs and made me shake.
It felt like pulling muscle from bone to leave Damien.
Necessary but painful.
I put my hand on my stomach.
"For you," I said in a hoarse voice. "Everything is for you."
But as I said it, a new worry came to mind.
What if he found me before I could get settled?
What if he came here, angry, determined, and unstoppable?
What would he do when he found out the truth?
A knock on the door shocked me.
I stopped moving, and my heart was beating so hard it hurt.
Not him.
Not possible. He couldn't have caught up with me this fast.
A voice from the hallway said, "Sorry to bother you!" Young. Woman. Not Damien at all. "I live down the hall. "I just wanted to leave these here."
I opened the door a little bit.
There was a girl about my age there with a small tray of hot muffins. She had messy blonde hair in a bun, an oversized sweater, and sparkling eyes that softened when they saw my tear-stained face.
"Oh," she said in a friendly way. "You're having a morning."
I blinked, feeling embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I—"
"No need to say sorry." She pushed the plate into my hand. "I am Mia. I'm right here if you need anything, like sugar, directions, a hug, or someone to cry with. She pointed to a door on the other side of the hall.
Her kindness almost made me cry again.
I said, "Thank you."
She waved goodbye and went into her apartment, leaving me in a silence that wasn't as terrible as it had been.
I went further into the apartment, put the muffins on the counter, and snuggled up on the couch. My eyelids got heavy in a matter of seconds.
Maybe for today.
Just today... I could let myself breathe.
I fell asleep.
Damien
With the lights off, Northbridge looked terrible.
The long stretch of road behind me disappeared as the sun rose through a thick layer of dark clouds. I held the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white.
Three hours of driving.
I thought about her for three hours.
Three hours spent thinking about all the terrible things that could happen to a woman alone in a foreign city.
No call yet.
There is still no message.
Laurie's quietness ate away at every part of my will.
Vincent's voice rang in my head:
"Sir... She took only a bag with her. "This was not a break; this was an escape."
I was angry, but not at her. I was angry at whatever fear had made her run away.
We could see the Northbridge bus terminal. I parked the car too quickly and got out into the cool morning air, looking around like a predator.
I pictured her standing here, worn out, wet, and scared. I pictured her little hands holding a bag. I pictured her biting her lip to keep from crying.
The thought made something inside me break.
I looked at the surveillance photos my team had sent me. Laurie gets off the bus. Looking around. Going into town and disappearing.
Close.
She was very close.
I wouldn't leave this place without her.
I took a deep breath to calm down.
I said into the silence, "You should have told me what was wrong, Laurie." "You never had to run."
A vow grew in my heart that was cold, fierce, and unbreakable.
I'd look for her.
I'd take her home.
And when I did...
She would tell you why she ran.